Tide Tidbits – February 8, 2010
Early enrollees may be key to this Alabama recruiting class
It was nearly impossible for Alabama to live up to the hype surrounding its top-rated recruiting classes in 2008 and 2009. Florida ran away with the 2010 recruiting “championship,” feeding off the hype associated with the Gators’ 2008 national championship, something Alabama can use to its benefit in 2011. And the Crimson Tide was hard-pressed to follow up the last two years of landing five-star recruits with two of its scholarships spent on less ballyhooed high school players who punt and kick. Saban was less worried about grabbing the best players — as he did in 2008 and 2009 — and more worried about addressing the needs of the Tide, which lost almost every defensive back with any experience. What may turn out to be the biggest draw of this recruiting class is the ability to have three grayshirts initially recruited in 2009 join seven true freshmen from the 2010 class as early enrollees who will participate in spring practice next month. Continue Reading >>
Tide Tidbits – February 7, 2010
Saban lists process problems
It starts earlier, moves faster and is getting uglier. The world of college football is evolving as the increasingly expedited process changes the landscape of the sport’s second most important season that is becoming big business. And not everyone likes it. Rules that are more restrictive and trash-talking rivals were among the issues Alabama coach Nick Saban listed as problems with the never-ending recruiting process. It’s not all negative, though. The trendy decision of enrolling in classes early makes for more prepared true freshmen ready to contribute right away. With 11 newcomers of the incoming class of 26 already in Tuscaloosa, Saban’s not complaining about having that record-high number for the program. The shifted calendar used in the recruiting process has many roots. Players are getting attention earlier and earlier from college coaches eager to get a leg up on the competition. Continue Reading >>
Tide Tidbits – February 6, 2010
This Alabama Class Was About Needs Not Wants. Plus 10 Stars to Look out for.
The Stones said it best: “You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you just might find. You get what you need.” It is not the prettiest class of the Nick Saban Era, but none the less it is a very significant one. In a year when as many as seven defensive backfield players with experience are leaving, necessity overtakes desire. This can also been seen in the signing of eight linemen, four on the defensive front and four more on the offensive side. Having to sign a punter and a kicker are never easy pills to swallow when you might want to take a five-star safety and his QB brother. That is the burden of having to replace needs. Still, even with the need to fill holes, Alabama managed to land a consensus top-five recruiting class for the third year in a row. That is a feat that has only been duplicated by the likes of Florida and USC. Continue Reading >>
Tide Tidbits – February 5, 2010
Sims stands out as top Tide prize
Nick Saban looked at some other quarterbacks while compiling Alabama’s 2010 recruiting class, but signed only one. And ESPN says it couldn’t have found one better. Quarterback Phillip Sims’ reputation preceded him to Alabama. The 6-foot-2, 224-pound Sims finished his prep career in Chesapeake, Va., as the state of Virginia’s all-time leader in passing yards (10,725) and touchdown passes (119). He was 48-4 in four years at Oscar F. Smith High School, winning a state title as a junior. “What he has accomplished as a quarterback is very impressive,” Saban said, “and hopefully he can develop and improve and have that same kind of career here in terms of his performance and production.” From a publicity standpoint, Sims has become the face of the Crimson Tide’s 2010 signing class despite the fact that, barring injury, he’s unlikely to play significant snaps next season. Continue Reading >>
Tide Tidbits – February 4, 2010
Tide’s primary prize:Secondary
Led by Milliner and Fulton, defensive back position seems to be fully stocked for future. Alabama’s string of consecutive No. 1 recruiting national championships was snapped Wednesday. Sort of. No, the Crimson Tide did not put together the country’s highest-rated group of signees. But at its position of greatest need, give the rankings a closer look. According to Rivals.com, Alabama signed the best crop of defensive backs in the nation – a snapshot of reloading for the team that won the BCS national championship last month but lost four of its top five defensive backs. Scout.com has Alabama tied with Florida for the top crop of defensive backs. Look even closer and that group of defensive backs might look still even better. Alabama’s top two cornerback signees – DeMarcus Milliner and John Fulton – are already enrolled and will get a jump on their freshmen seasons by participating in spring practice. Continue Reading >>
Tide Tidbits – February 3, 2010
Surprises likely few for Tide
A couple of uncommitted offensive linemen and the possibility of a late signing surprise are all that’s left on what looms to be a relatively uneventful National Signing Day for Alabama’s football program today. The Crimson Tide did much of its work early, and coach Nick Saban is set to finalize a third consecutive signing class that ranks among the nation’s best. Saban heads into today with 26 expected signees. But final-day suspense for Alabama has been diluted by months worth of early commitments and premature announcements in recent days by two prospects – junior college cornerback Dequan Menzie (Sunday) and Maryland offensive tackle Arie Kouandjio (Tuesday) – who were originally scheduled to wait until today. Kouandjio (6-foot-5, 215), who’s rated the nation’s 15th-best tackle by Rivals, committed Tuesday afternoon. He chose the Crimson Tide over New Mexico and Southern Cal. “When it came down to it,” Kouandjio told The Washington Post, “I felt the best place for the next four or five years for me is Alabama. Continue Reading >>
Tide Tidbits – February 2, 2010
Winning is not just physical
Last month, the Crimson Tide started out the BCS National Championship Game by throwing an interception on a fake punt on the game’s fourth play and failing to field a kickoff minutes later, allowing Texas to take a quick 6-0 lead. Alabama players gathered themselves and overcame the shaky start to defeat the Longhorns 37-21 to claim UA’s 13th national championship. “The team the year before would have fallen apart and did, as we all know,” Antowaine Richardson said. “The beauty to me was how they came together and overcame that dysfunction in the first quarter.” Richardson should know. Alabama players know him as the team’s unofficial mental conditioning coach, but his full-time job is project director for the Seattle-based Pacific Institute. He is an expert in developing mental toughness. Continue Reading >>
Tide Tidbits – February 1, 2010
An interview with Alabama coach Nick Saban
Alabama coach Nick Saban recently spoke with the Orlando Sentinel and other members of the media about life after winning the BCS championship: Media: You didn’t seem especially happy in the final minutes of the championship game. Do you enjoy winning? Saban: I enjoy it tremendously. … I was still kind of into the game. And the way the game went, with [Texas] coming back like they did in the second half and getting it close. I think it was a different circumstance. When we scored right before the half, I walked into the locker room at halftime and our players are celebrating like the game is over. I jumped up on a chair and immediately tried to settle them down. Talked to them about great teams know how to come back in games, Texas has a lot of good players and we need to be ready to finish this game and play for 60 minutes in this game. We were very flat in the third quarter, didn’t get a first down, they kept fighting it and they eventually got themselves back into the game. Continue Reading >>
Tide Tidbits – January 31, 2010
The expensive pursuit of elite athletes
As football recruiting classes go, Mike Shula’s final one at Alabama in 2006 was productive. It was ranked 11th in the country by Rivals.com — although only fifth in the SEC — and produced standout players such as Andre Smith, Javier Arenas and Greg McElroy. Alabama reported to the NCAA spending $237,774 on football recruiting in 2005-06, accounting for 32 percent of the athletics department’s recruiting expenses that year. Few SEC football teams listed lesser amounts that year than Alabama. That was about to change as Alabama football, amid consecutive No. 1 classes under Nick Saban that helped produce last season’s national title, entered a different financial level. By 2008-09, Alabama reported $750,045 in football recruiting expenses, meaning the sport spent 49 percent of the athletics department’s recruiting dollars. Continue Reading >>
Tide Tidbits – January 30, 2010
Peek fits mold of NFL tight ends
Colin Peek has been through his share of injuries in the last 12 months, but the University of Alabama tight end has rebounded to full health at a critical juncture: the Senior Bowl, and the National Football League combine that will follow. While the Senior Bowl includes a weigh-in and various measurements and extensive interviews with representatives from NFL teams, the combine will conduct a thorough physical examination that is nearly as important for oft-injured players as other combine results. “I know when you’ve dealt with injuries teams are going to pry on you, poke and prod you to see if you are 100 percent. I’m so thankful that I’ve been able to come out of this situation (healthy) after dealing with tough injuries like I’ve had,” Peek said. I would pass a physical with flying colors right now. More people I think worry about that stuff than me. At Alabama they try to be very protective and cautious because they don’t want to lose a player during the season.” Continue Reading >>
Tide Tidbits – January 29, 2010
New Saban statue could debut at A-Day game
Work for a statue of University of Alabama coach Nick Saban commemorating the Crimson Tide’s fifth national championship coach has already begun, and the manufacturer is working toward a completion goal of April 17, the date of the annual A-Day spring game, The Tuscaloosa News has learned. The company that produced the four statues of previous UA national title coaches beside the Walk of Champions plaza outside the north end zone of Bryant-Denny Stadium, is also handling the planned bronze replica of Saban. The project manager for those statues, Corey Beltz, is also working closely with the latest project. According to Beltz, Saban’s wife, Terry, is among several people who will have input on the statue’s appearance. “We are sculpting clay right now and we have pretty good direction on what they want for the look of it,” Beltz said. “Coach Saban’s love of student-athletes, his love of being a teacher, that is what we have been asked to emphasize. Continue Reading >>
Tide Tidbits – January 28, 2010
Crimson Tide Quarterback Conundrum Might Surprise Some
The saying, “What have you done for me lately” perhaps fits the sport of college football unlike anything else in the sporting world. That college fans are fickle is no surprise. To them, players and coaches are only as good as their last game. Alabama quarterback Greg McElroy is a prime example. I remember sitting and watching him make his first start under center for the Crimson Tide. The Tide went on to win that game with McElroy under center, as well as 13 more, to finish a perfect 14-0. Considering he had won all his starts in high school and all of them so far in college, to go with a SEC title and a BCS National Championship, you would think job security wouldn’t be an issue. You would likely be wrong. Continue Reading >>
